Rotating sprinkler



Feb. 22,1927.

0. KITTINGER ROTATING SPRINKLER F'iled Feb. 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Feb. 22, 1927..

PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS A. KITTINGER, OF SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA.

ROTATING SPRINKLER.

Application filed February 6, 1926. Serial No. 86,451.

This invention relates, to sprinkling devices, and more particularly to lawn sprinklers of the revolving type adapted to utilize the water pressure to throw thewater radially of the support." In such devices the water is usually thrown in a circular path, the outermost limit of throw being the circumference of a circle circumscribed about the axis of the support as a center, it being assumedthat the rotor is parallel to the space being sprinkled.

Manylawns, flower beds, gardens, etc., are of rectangular formation and, if sprinklers such as above referred to are utilized in such formations, the extreme corners of the plots will not be reached by the water,

when the power is only sufficient to project the latter to the sides of the plot. 'If greater power is applied the corners may be reached, but the Water will be thrown beyond the sides of the rectangular formation, resulting iii needless waste, as will be readily understood.

The present invention isan improvement upon the structure set forth in my co-pending application filed May 26, 1924, Ser. No.

, 715,947, in so far as is concerned the means j for causing rotation of new and improved sprinkler arms, and in the particular conadapted to distribute the water over a surfiguration of the openings in the stationary reservoir, which openings govern the amount of water to be received by the said arms.

The object of the present invention therefore is the provision of a new and improved sprinkler'of the general rotating type referred to, equipped with improved means face of rectangillar formation. 1

Other objects of the invention will be made apparent in the following specifications, when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings: 1 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through my timprovedsprinkler.

F i 2 is a fragmentary section of the i sprin ler, on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewvshowing the stationary reservoir. 1

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic top plan view of v the sprinkler in operation, the arrows indithe water.

catingthe maximum and minimum throw of end of one of the sprinkler arms.

the operation of the Eontrol which regulates the distance of the Water throw.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the sprinkler mounted for operation. v

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the side wall of the reservoir -in flattened condition, or stretched out and, 1

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the-outer Now referring specifically 'to ings, A is a supply pipe adapted to deliver water under pressure, said pipe being mounted upbn a standard A, the lower end of said pipe being in communication with a flexible hose A or otherwise connected to a water supply, see Fig. 6.

the draw- ,To the top of the pipe A is rigidly and Q ture v,4: of the configuration clearly illustrated in the stretch-out of the wall 2, shown in Figs. 5 and 7 All of the apertures 4 are symmetrically formed, but every two adJacent apertures are revered, each having an I elongated base or top 5, as the case. may

by position, and an apex 6 formed on a line parallel to the base or top 5. Rising from the base 5, toapproximately one-third of the distance from the apex 6, are straight sides 7 ,forming a right angle with the base, and gradually-curved lines 8 connecting the sides 7 with the apex 6. It is tobe noted that, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7 the side 7 of one aperture is in exactly the same vertical plane as the side 7 of the adjacent aperture, although the two apertures lie in different horizontal planes. The apertures need not be reversed as shown in Figure 7, but this isgthe preferred-embodime because the resulting reservoir is of very rigid construction. Y Y

, As illustrated in Fig. 1, the top portion of the pipe A is somewhat enlarged at A A.,s'hell B surrounds the reservoir 1, and is slightly spaced therefrom to permit free rois provided with a reduced depending sleeve 9 which encircles'said portion A, the sleeve ing likewise positioned thereon.

' water under pressure enters the arms 12 and being connected to the body of the reservoir by a wall 10, provided with a raceway for anti-friction balls 11, the upper portion of said halls hearing against the lower surface of the floor 3 of the reservoir, when the sprinkler is in operation. concentrically surrounding the sleeve 9 is a collar 9 which is screw-threaded to said sleeve 9 and rotatable therewith, the lower periphery of said collar being turned inwardly to support a packing gasket 9", located adjacent the lower periphery of the sleeve 9, the structure just described forming a sufficiently eil'ective stuiiing loci: in preventing too great a waste of water, and permitting rotation of the sleeve 9, carried by the shell l3.

The shell B carries a plurality oi sprinkler arms 12, 12 and 13, 13, here shown as arranged iii-pairs. Each arm extends radially of the shell B. the arms 12. 12 heing diametrically opposed, and the arms 13, 13 he- The outer end of each arm is provided with a hollow head 14, carrying a plurality of orifices 15 ifn its outer face, and-an orifice 16 in its side ace.

The inner end of each arm 12 and 13 com-.

municates with the interior of the shell B through a relatively thin, vertically-extending slot 17, of a height equal to the distance between the apex 6 and the base 5 of: the apertures 4 in the reservoir 1. A cover 18 screw-threads onto the top of the shell 13'.

With the instrumentalities assembled as herein set forth, when the water is turned on,-

the force thereof causes the shell B to ride upwardly on the rtion A of thepipe A, the reservoir 1 being filled with water, and the latter passingthrough the apertures and through the slots 17 into the arms 12 and 13, and out through the orifices 15 and 16 in the head 14. The force of the water expelled through the orifice 16, in the side of the head 14, operates along the principle oi the well known Barkers mill, and causes a rearward movement of the arms 12 and 13, and hence a rotation of the shell B, around the reservo1r 1,the speed of rotation being dependent upon" the pressure of the water led into the reservoir. The water expelled from the orifices 15 is thrown outwardly away from the rotating arms 12' and 13, while the water emitted from the orifice 16 sprinkles the formation adjacent the s rinkler.

The water is sprink ed over a rectangular formation, as indicated in Fig. 4. As the 13, it is ejected through the orifices 15 a distance which is directly proportionate to the amount of pressure upon the water within tlie'arm. Manifestly, the amount of water passing through each arm governs the pressure therein, and the volume of water allowed to dlrectly enter each arm is dependent upon the extent to which the inner or Lemmas over an aperture'd, the four apertures being indicated as 1, -1 4 and 1, the slots 17 be ing shown in dotted lines, and the distance the water is thrown being indicated in full lines. As the front portion of the slot 17 first comes into registration with the aperture l, the water throw is minimum, and this throw is determinahle to a very line degree, dependent upon the area of the slot in registration with the aperture, because the vertical slot 1'? is presented laterally to the aperture 4:, past the side wall 7 of the latter. At the outset, when the front edge of the slot moves past the wall 7, only the lower portion of the vertical height oi the slot is in registration with said aperture, such portion being of the length of the wall 7, as will he understood.

Moreover, until the slot has moved further or that portion which has passed the wallv 7, and only a small volume of water is pass-- ing directly from the aperture to said arm, said volume gradually increasing in direct proportion to the extent of travel of said slot towards the center of said aperture, or until the entire lower portion of the slot passes the wall 7, as will he understood. From the foregoing it will he understood that the distance to which the water is thrown increases, at the outset, from minimum, until the slot 17 is in complete registration with the aperture t". The curved wall8 definesfthe continued and uninterrupted increasethereafter,

since continued movement of the slot 17 toarm 12, resulting in the water being thrown a gradually increasing distance from the orifices 15..

As the slot 17 reaches the center of the aperture 4, the entire length thereof is in registration with the aperture 4, and the maximum amount of waterv is being thrown from the orifices 15, during the passage of said slot over the space defined by the apex wall 6. Continued movement of the slot 17 to the right results in a gradual decrease of the su ply of water, since the curved wall 8 at, iihe right of the aperture gradually shuts off the su ply to the upper portion of the slot, and the latter fina 1y passes the lower wall 7 at the right of the slot, the supply of water from the aperture 41 being in this manner gradually decreased and finally shut off.

the wall 7 of the one aperture 4:, and thewall 7 of the adjacent aperture 4, are indirect vertical alignment, although located in different horizontal planes, as clearly seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 7. Consequently, when the water from the one aperture 4 is automatically cut 0E from the slot 17 b one of the walls 7, the slot 17 co-incident y passes the wall 7 of the adjacent aperture 4:, and initiates a throw of water of the same volume and under the same power. In other words,

and now referring to Fig. 5, when the slot 17 passes entirely out of registration with the aperture 4, at minimum throw, it simultaneously passes into registration with aperture at, also at minimum throw, the operation as set forth being continuously repeated as lon as the shell B rotates.

In the diagrammatic View shown in 4, the points x and .2 indicate the minimum distance to which the water is to be thrown, and the point 3/ indicates the corner of the rectangle, or the maximum distance. As the slot 17 (Fig. 5) is being closed by the wall 7 of aperture 4, the throw. is minimum, or to the point 60, Fig. 4. Immediately the slot 17 passes into registration with the aperturev 4 and, without interruption, the water passing through said aperture into said slot 17 is thrown by the arm 12 to the point 00, the distance gradually increasing until the point 3/ is reached, and thence decreasing until the point 2 is reached, whereupon the water from aperture 4: is cut 0E from said arm 12 and the aperture 4: commences to iteedthe water to the arm, as heretofore explained.

It is to struction herein disclosed, as each of the. arms 12, 13, 12, 13 passes one of the apertures 4, the arm t rrows water first to the point w, thence gradually increasing the distance to the point y, and thence decreasing the distance to the point e, where the adjacent aperture at takes up the feed to the slot 17., in order to reach the corner, the curved portion of each aperture is a little more than one and one-half times the height of the rectangular portion. Applicant has evolved a formula for determining this relation which may be briefly stated-as the length of the orifice varies as the cube of the distance from the sprinkler to the edge of, the figure to be covered. The curves of the upper portion of the aperture are preferably graphically determined by plotting, the geometrical figure to be sprinkled and the necessary aperture opening for covering each section of the geometrical figure, varying proportionately. The theoretical curves, however, must be modified in accordance with actual experi- ,ment, as-the. inertiaof the water makes slight changes necessary. Thus, the apex is theoretically a point, but actual tests show that it must be of appreciable extent in order to permit the water to reach the cor ners.

Considering each aperture, the lower rectangular portion, formed by the walls 7, permits the sprinkling of a-circle, while the arcuate portion formed by the walls 8 perniits the sprinkling of the area between this circle and the boundary of the rectangular figure. The apertures 4 may thus be considered as comprising two sections or openings, one for permitting the sprinkling ofa circle inscribed within a square or rectangle, which circle may be called a base circle and theother for permitting the sprinkling of the corner spaces between this base circle and the square or rectangle. The construction illustrated and described is designed for sprinkling square areas. Obviously, this teaching may be employe for sprinkling any straight sided geometrical area, the neccssary structural modifications being within the scope of my invention.

From the foregoing it will be noted that I have provided a sprinkler structure which is adapted to automatically throw water over a rectangular formation, and in which there r the stoppage of the supply of waterfrom be understood that, in the conthe other arm, and consequently there is no variation in the, force of the water. The structure of the shell B is also strengthened, because, by placing. the apertures in difierent horizontal planes, the solid portion of the shell between the apertures may be left as required for the necessary strength. -By carefully measured constructions, after geometrical calculations, the present structure can be so formed as to enable it to sprinkle a rectangular formation in line'swhich are almost exactly straight,,in the absence of any wind.

When the deviceis out of operation the lower surface of the cover 18 rests upon the upper periphery of the reservoir 1, retaini'ng the shell against downward movement on'the pipe section A. As soon as the water is turned on the pressure against the lower face of the cover 18 operates to raise it-out of contact with the upper periph cry of the reservoir 1, as shown in Fig. 1.

Modifications of the structure herein described may be suggested to those skilled in the art, but my invention covers all modifications falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A circular reservoir for use with rotating sprinklers for sprinkling a straight sided geometrical area, having a periphery provided with openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling a base circle, and open? ings shaped and positioned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said geometrical area and said base circle.

2. A circular reservoir for use with rotating sprinklers for sprinkling a straight sided geometrical area, having a periphery provided with apertures comprising. openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling a base circle and additional openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said geometrical area and said base circle. a a

3. A circular reservoir for use with r0- tating sprinklers for sprinkling a square area, having a periphery provided w th openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling a base circle, and openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said square area and said base circle.

4. A circular reservoir for use with rotating sprinklers for sprinkling a square area, having a periphery provided with apertures comprising openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling a base circle and additional openings shaped and posltloned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said square area and said base circle.

5. A sprinkler comprising a fixed reservoir in communication with a su ply of water under pressure, a circular s ell rotatably mounted concentrically of and immediately adjacent the outer side of said reservoir, at least one hollow sprinkler arm carried by the periphery of said shell and opening into the interior of the shell, and apertures in the periphery of the reservoir permitting communication of the arm or arms with the interior of the reservoir for sprinkling a square area, said apertures comprising openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling a base circle, and additional openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said square area and said base circle.

6. A sprinkler comprising a fixed reservoir in communication with a supply of water under pressure, a circular shell rotatably mounted concentrically of and immediately adjacent the outer side of said reservoir, at least one hollow sprinkler arm carried by the periphery of said shell and opening into the interior of the shell, and apertures in the periphery of the reservoir permitting communication of the arm or arms with the interior of the reservoir for sprinkling a straight sided geometrical area, said apertures comprising openings shaped and positioned forsprinkling a base circle,

and additional openings shaped and positioned for sprinkling the corner areas between the periphery of said geometrical area and said base circle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTIS A.- KITTINGER. 

